The Era of Mechanical Horsepower

By Leslie C. McManus
Updated on February 22, 2023
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by Leslie C. Mcmanus

In this issue, Howard Raymond reflects on the centennial of the Farmall tractor and its subsequent impact on American agriculture. This won’t come as much of a spoiler, but, as Howard notes, “With the Farmall, the mechanical horse had come to stay.”

We’ve all read about the end of the horse-farming era, but most often it’s in the context of tractor development. Occasionally we encounter the remembrances of the men who held great affection for the horses they worked with on the farm. Less often do we hear about the trickle-down impact of the end of that era.

Take the antique hay trolleys that captivate collector Bill Anderson. For at least 60 years after trolleys were invented in 1860, horses provided the power that made those systems work.

Before there were tractors, the process of putting hay in the barn was a labor-intensive operation involving teams of horses pulling loads of hay to the barn. There’d be a man on the wagon, at least one in the hay mow, and yet another driving the team. Mechanization did not make the trolley obsolete (round bales did that in the 1980s) but it did streamline the process.

Also in this issue, Jim Lacey traces the process of making butter in the era when farmers hauled cream to town once a week to sell or trade for goods. More than a century ago, that meant loading 5-gallon cans full of cream into the horse-drawn wagon that would do the hauling. Such a trip would likely take at least a half day, longer if the farm was some distance from town or if other business was conducted.

By the time the Farmall came along, trucks developed for farm use were becoming commonplace. Early automobiles and farm trucks made trips to town a breezy errand instead of a half-day outing. Horse-drawn wagons were converted to tractor use; horses were put out to pasture.

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